Brothers and Anchors
by InweTiwele
Summary: They were brothers and they were each other's anchors to reality. That truth should have been the least surprising of all.
1. Brothers and Anchors

Brothers and Anchors

**A/N:** I should be updating my other stories instead, but I got this idea in my head and I had to write it before it vanished. So, here is the idea.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and the "Alone." Obviously.

* * *

"_From childhood's hour I have not been_

_As others were—I have not seen_

_As others saw—I could not bring_

_My passions from a common spring—_

_From the same source I have not taken_

_My sorrow—I could not awaken_

_My heart to joy at the same tone—_

_And all I lov'd—I lov'd alone—_

_Then—in my childhood—in the dawn_

_Of a most stormy life—was drawn_

_From ev'ry depth of good and ill_

_The mystery which binds me still—_

_From the torrent, or the fountain—_

_From the red cliff of the mountain—_

_From the sun that 'round me roll'd_

_In its autumn tint of gold—_

_From the lightning in the sky_

_As it pass'd me flying by—_

_From the thunder, and the storm—_

_And the cloud that took the form_

_(When the rest of Heaven was blue)_

_Of a demon in my view—"_

_-Edgar Allen Poe, "Alone"_

* * *

Sakura had always known the bond between Sasuke and Naruto was stronger than her bond with the two of them. And yet, she couldn't help but notice that it was almost as if the two seemed to revolve around each other. It was an interdependence Sakura had only ever witnessed in nature.

They depended wholly upon each other to keep them sane.

And it was a disturbing thought to realize that if one were gone, the other would no longer have a portion of their sanity. It was perturbing to realize that if they were bent the wrong way, either of them would be destroyed by their own inner demons. It was frightening to know that if she died, they would mourn her death, but that part of their wholeness would be taken with her.

And Sakura was terrified.

She was as much an anchor for her two teammates as they were to each other. Ino had once flippantly commented on Team Seven's strange relationship. That comment had started Sakura thinking about her relationship with her teammates.

It was strange, seeing the two of them out together so often. However, all she had to do was start observing the villagers. Hate was an ugly thing.

The villagers hated them.

They looked at the two boys with nothing but hatred. One for what was shoved on him at birth; the other for what he had done.

And Sakura wanted to cry.

She wanted to cry for her teammates, friends, and brothers. They did not deserve what had happened to them.

Naruto had not asked to be a jinchuuriki.

Sasuke had not asked to lose his family to his brother's psychosis.

Naruto had not asked to be ostracized as a child for something he had had no control over.

Sasuke had not asked to be cursed.

And all of the things that excluded them from others had turned them into monsters.

_**Bakemono.**_

They were no longer humans in the eyes of the villagers. Naruto and Sasuke were the very epitome of what was wrong with the current Hokage.

But they were not that way to Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke were two brothers not bonded by blood. They were each other's anchors to the real world.

Sakura could allow herself to find solace in that. Even though their dependence would be their downfall.

* * *

**A/N:** Again, this little one-shot falls into my whole little idea about perceptions and how they're often wrong. I think that if we take the time to really look at the people will interact with on a daily basis, we'll be able to see things that we haven't noticed before. I challenge you to try it. You never know, you may be surprised by what a little bit of patience can do for you.

I would also suggest taking the time to even look at characters for who they really are, and this includes all of the outside influences that had made them into who they are.


	2. Sake

**A/N:** This was originally supposed to be a one shot, but a reviewer suggested making it a series of one shots. I liked the idea, so props to them though I can't remember who you are (sorry). So here is the second installment. They won't go in any particular order, just so you know.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Sake

"_In visions of the dark night_

_I have dreamed of joy departed;_

_But a waking dream of life and light_

_Hath left me broken-hearted._

_Ah! what is not a dream by day_

_To him whose eyes are cast_

_On things around him, with a ray_

_Turned back upon the past?_

_That holy dream, that holy dream,_

_While all the world were chiding,_

_Hath cheered me as a lovely beam_

_A lonely spirit guiding._

_What though that light, thro' storm and night,_

_So trembled from afar –_

_What could there be more purely bright_

_In Truth's day-star?"_

_-Edgar Allen Poe, "A Dream"_

* * *

The night Sakura woke up in the middle of the night to the phone ringing was one of the worst she had ever experienced. Naruto was on the other end telling her Sasuke had been drinking again. Apparently he was unable to hold his alcohol and got drunk too quickly for his own good.

She had groggily gotten dressed and stumbled down the street to Naruto's apartment where the Uchiha was currently vomiting into the blonde's toilet. Sakura knew how bad alcoholism could be. Numerous shinobi had been taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning during her long shifts.

Naruto and Sasuke didn't go to the hospital when they could help it. Her teammates preferred to go straight to her at her home to be treated. The hospital staff did not treat them kindly.

Sakura went into the bathroom to find Sasuke passed out on the floor. Naruto was worried. Of course, this wasn't the first time this had happened.

The kunoichi was not surprised as others to find that Naruto had often kept Sasuke company when he was drunk. She knew – just as well as Naruto did – that Sasuke shouldn't be left alone when incoherent and incapacitated.

Most people were surprised that Naruto always stayed with Sasuke during this random mental purging after difficult missions.

Sakura knew why. Sometimes she wished that Sasuke would come to her instead, but she knew that wouldn't happen.

Naruto had a way of keeping Sasuke from drinking too much sake. Sakura did not.

A long time ago Sakura had realized that bonds that could not be broken chained the two together. Only death could break that bond, and the two weren't about to die any time soon.

Sakura and Naruto carried Sasuke out of the bathroom and onto a futon laid out on the floor. Naruto would stay with his best friend for entire night watching over him.

She knew she would be hearing Naruto yelling tomorrow just to remind Sasuke of his hang over. It was amusing sometimes, but it worried her all the same.

Her friend was quickly becoming an alcoholic and she could do nothing. She had only one person to turn to: Naruto.

Naruto would be the only person to be able to get Sasuke to stop. Being as close as brothers had its advantages for Sakura too. She would be able to help the two of them subtly through the other.

It was all she could do because Sakura did not hold as much sway.

She had always been the one to mediate.

She had always been the one to hold their hands when they could not rely upon each other.

She had been the one to physical wounds.

That was all she could do. Heal physical wounds.

So she had to help as much as she could when one of them needed help.

Naruto was looking at her expectantly. She smiled at him sadly.

"Help him, Naruto-kun."

--

A/N: I would imagine that Sasuke would have a drinking problem if he joined ANBU. As you can tell, this is set after Shippuden, and he is back in Konoha. I just think that he should be back there instead of wandering around.

I don't have much to say about this one. However, I imagine that Sakura would feel it necessary to help her friends in any way she could. Therefore, she doesn't have much influence over the two, but she can ask one of them to help each other. I imagine that if she asked one of them to help each other they would do it.


	3. Reading Lessons

A/N: I definitely need to update my other stories. I promise I am working on it, but I must say I'm enjoying this little "project." There's something pleasing in shedding a different perspective on something. Flames are not accepted, of course. Constructive criticism is welcome. Read and enjoy! (Oh, and reviewing on your way out would be nice too.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the poem by Emily Dickinson.

* * *

Reading Lessons

"_He ate and drank the precious words,_

_His spirit grew robust;_

_He knew no more that he was poor,_

_Nor that his frame was dust._

_He danced along the dingy days,_

_And this bequest of wings_

_Was but a book. What liberty_

_A loosened spirit brings!"_

_-Emily Dickinson_

* * *

Sakura was in her kitchen making onigiri listening to her teammates in the other room. Naruto was halting through the words on the page, and the sound broke her heart into little pieces. How a child could be neglected for something he wasn't able to control was beyond her.

What was more surprising was that Sasuke was so patient with Naruto. Sasuke would calmly correct Naruto where he stumbled. Of course, Naruto wouldn't go on without being able to read the kanji first. And Sasuke would calmly teach him what the kanji was and its meanings.

Sasuke was furious when he had first learned Naruto could barely read. He hadn't been that surprised though because of the villager's outstanding hatred for him. In fact, it was just another reason for Sasuke to hate the village.

Sakura had realized Sasuke was angry that they had been too scared of a five year old to teach him how to read. Naruto had been at a great disadvantage upon entering the academy. He was even angrier at himself for not realizing it sooner. He could have helped him. And he felt guilty.

Guilt.

It was a strange thing. How could such an emotion rip someone to shreds with ease? Why did it have the ability to change them so profoundly? And yet, love failed to do that in such a complete way.

And Sakura had to admit it to herself – because there was no use denying it any longer – that she too was guilty of never noticing the villagers' narrow-mindedness. And it hurt. It felt like a knife was being twisted into her gut and left there. She was standing there bleeding and there was no one to help her. Because no one cared.

No one cared about a child that had not wished to be a jinchuuriki. No one cared about a boy who had lost everything he loved, cared, and trusted. No. One. _Cared._

And listening to Sasuke teach Naruto how to read forced Sakura to take a step back and look at people from a different perspective – especially the villagers. That new perspective, that new view, cut even deeper than the guilt. Because she realized how much she _hated_ people. Yes, _hated. _

Because people were selfish and terrified. They were terrified of death.

And Sakura could no longer hide behind naïve ideals. She no longer had innocence to protect her perfect dream world. It had long since died with her childhood.

Sasuke and Naruto had always known. Even if Sasuke hadn't realized it such a long time ago. Now he did. He knew, but Naruto had always known. Sasuke may have hated the village, but Naruto was the one keeping him there.

Sakura liked to believe that she was also a part of that reason, but she would just be lying to herself. And it hurt because she knew that Sasuke had known how much she lied to herself all along. She wasn't worth it because she was just as selfish as the villagers.

And her heart had been ripped out.

And she was standing there, left there to bleed.

* * *

A/N: I'm not the only one who believes that Naruto cannot read. This isn't an old idea, but it's highly plausible. The villagers are terrified of him and hate him. They only hate him because he carries something that he never asked for. As for Sasuke...well, if you've been keeping up with the manga (I don't know about the anime because I don't watch it) then you know what's going on. I don't want to spoil it for other people. I spoil things enough for my people.

Well, it took me awhile to finish this one. Listening to Some By Sea was very helpful in the inspiration department, but I've been thinking about these ideas for awhile.

And before anyone asks: Yes, I do _dislike_ people a great deal. We are inherently selfish and act in our own self-interest despite what people may say about themselves. No offense to them, but they are lying. And no, I'm not excluding myself. So I thought that it was time Sakura realized it.

It's a rather ugly truth, I think.


	4. Compassion

Compassion

* * *

"_The thought manifests as the word; the word manifests as the deed;_

_The deed develops into habit;_

_And habit hardens into character. So watch_

_The thought and it's ways with care,_

_And let it spring from love Born out of concern_

_For all beings."_

_-the Buddha_

* * *

Sakura understood the finer aspects of compassion. She was a medic, after all. Day in and day out she would treat the sick and the wounded. Not every one of her patients was saved. Many died, and she understood compassion when she told the loved ones left behind. It was a part of her job after all.

She watched her fellow medics tell the anxious friends and family that their loved one was dead, but they were cold and distant. Compassion was nonexistent. Sakura chose to cry with those left behind to show that she understood their pain, felt their pain, and shared their pain. That was how she showed compassion.

* * *

Naruto understood compassion. It was strange that a boy who was never shown kindness could be so gentle. He smiled every day, though his smile slipped occasionally. Never the less, he showed kindness to those who were cruel and refused to judge them for the way they treated him.

In his own way, Naruto showed compassion through his loud pep talks. Punching someone in the face in earnest was a strange way to show compassion for another's situation in life. The way he could show people there was another side to life and that it was worth living was his special, unique way of showing compassion.

* * *

Sasuke _knew _compassion very well. Admittedly, his was probably the strangest form of compassion. He chose to push others away so they would not be hurt, and ripped apart his own soul. The reasons for doing so were purely selfish and selfless. It was true that he was terrified of losing those he loved, but he did not want those he loved to suffer because of him.

The only compassion he could ever offer them was through cold words and harsh glances. Inadvertently, those he loved most suffered, but Sasuke would always know when to say the right thing when it came to Naruto. He would _always_ know when to let Sakura cry after a patient died.

Yes, Sasuke _knew_ compassion.

* * *

A/N: Just another addition to the one shot collection. This is the edited version.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


	5. If

If

* * *

"_If I should die,_

_And you should live,_

_And time should gurgle on,_

_And morn should beam,_

_And noon should burn,_

_As it has usual done;_

_If birds should build as early,_

_And bees as bustling go, -_

_One might depart at option_

_From enterprise below!_

'_T is sweet to know that stocks will stand_

_When we with daisies lie,_

_That commerce will continue,_

_And trades as briskly fly._

_It makes the parting tranquil_

_And keeps the soul serene,_

_That gentleman so sprightly_

_Conduct the pleasing scene!"_

_-Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)_

* * *

Sakura wonders what it would have been like if her life had been different. She wonders if she should have remained a civilian like her parents instead of pursuing a career as a shinobi. After all, she was always watching _their_ backs.

She wonders if she would have been happy living a life of ease. Her parents did not force her to join the Academy. She _wanted _to join. What if they had refused to allow her to join?

It is one of the many thoughts that haunt her.

She wonders about the life she would have had if her parents had been elite shinobi. Would she have been like Kakashi or Tsunade? Or even Sasuke, Iruka, or Naruto?

Those thoughts scare her the most.

She wonders what it would have been like if Naruto's parents had never died. Every morning she asks herself, "What if the Kyuubi had never attacked Konoha?" And the question she asks herself the most: what if Naruto had _never_ been made a jinchuuriki?

These questions haunt her.

It is a wonderful image, picturing a world with a Naruto who isn't hated. It is a comforting idea to think of him as having a happy family, but it is also frightening. The Naruto that appears in her mind is nothing like the Naruto she knows. He has none of the empathy or understanding for his enemies.

And it frightens her even as it comforts her.

She wonders what it would have been like if Sasuke's family had never died. In her imagination, she sees a happy family. She sees him with his parents and his brother, the people he loves the most.

This image of Sasuke is more comforting than what he actually is. He is smiling in this image instead of wearing his typical scowl, but it is also hard to swallow. The smile seems plastered on as a facade. The laughter is hollow and empty. The family is falling apart at the seams.

And when she imagines what life _could_ have been for herself and her teammates, she does not like what she sees. It is unknown to her. It is a life she can have no part in.

And Sakura knows that even if she is the weakest member, she is also the strongest.

_She_ puts them back together when they need her to.

_She_ is the one that will hold Naruto's hand when he is injured.

_She _is the one who can remind Sasuke why he could never kill Naruto and why he came back.

She doesn't want the other life.

* * *

A/N: Standard disclaimer applies.

This came to me today, and I realize I dropped off the face of the planet. It'll probably happen again. Sorry.


	6. Hatred

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor the quotes.

* * *

Hatred

* * *

"_Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."_

_-Leo Tolstoy (1828 – 1910), _Anna Karenina, _Chapter 1, first line_

_

* * *

_

Sakura hates weasels. They are her least favorite animal. Misfortune clings to them like plague follows the rat. It is an all-consuming hatred that burns far hotter than the sun that shines down on her village.

Haruno Sakura hates weasels far more than anyone will ever know; perhaps far more than Sasuke. She loathes weasels because a weasel took away everything. A weasel took away her boys.

A weasel took away Kakashi from his one remaining student so Sakura had to find someone else to be her mentor.

A weasel led Sasuke away from the village and his chance at finding happiness with his team; all for an empty power.

A weasel took away Naruto by forcing him to make a stupid promise that could have gotten him killed.

A weasel took away Sasuke's family.

A weasel took away Sai's chance at a normal life.

A weasel stole Sakura's happiness.

So Sakura hates weasels and she hates Itachi far more than she hates weasels; perhaps because he is named for one.

Sasuke told Naruto everything, and it was only later that Sakura was told what had happened. She believes that for all his repute as a child prodigy and a genius, Itachi was a fool. He had refused to be selfish for once in his life, and would not, _could_ not, consider the third option.

So Sakura hates Itachi because when she thinks about that third option, she can't help but imagine what could have been. Sasuke would never have left those he loved for the power to chase a vengeance that would quickly turn to ash. Naruto would never have had to make that stupid promise. And her happiness would be intact.

Sakura _hates_ weasels.

* * *

"_We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them."_

_-Charles Caleb Colton (1780 – 1832)_


	7. Jealousy

A/N: Another installment.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the quote.

* * *

Jealousy

"_Jealousy would be far less torturous if we understood that love is a passion entirely unrelated to our merits."_

_-Paul Eldrige_

* * *

Sakura liked to think of herself as a magnanimous person. She liked to believe that she did not feel hatred or jealousy. Her patients found her to be firm, yet kind. Whenever they confided in her or told her their stories, Sakura did not judge them. In their death throes, Sakura was called "angel" and she was called "mother."

And for a short while she became that magnanimous person.

She became the mother of the dying and their guiding angel through their pain because that was what was required of her.

Outside of the hospital the illusion that she was compassionate melted away. Sakura knew that she was not capable of compassion. She was incapable of magnanimity.

Sakura had set herself on the path to kill her friend and the boy she loved because she could see no way to save him.

Sakura hated the brother of the man she loved with her whole being for driving the man she loved to brink of insanity.

Sakura hated her best friend for loving the same man she did.

Sakura hated her team mate because he was all the things she was not.

To herself, it only seemed she was capable of feeling jealousy and hatred.

Ino had the ability to turn Sakura into an ugly girl who only thought of her appearance. She was jealous of her long platinum blond hair and sky blue eyes. She was jealous that Ino was admired. It was jealousy that had destroyed their friendship and it was jealousy that had put it back together.

Sakura envied Naruto. He was admired by the villagers, but he had a power over Sasuke that she did not.

And she _hated_ it because she_ wanted_ that power so much.

Naruto had cleared Sasuke's name.

Naruto had brought Sasuke _home_ because of a stupid promise_._

Naruto was _taught_ by Sasuke because he could not read.

Naruto made Sasuke _smile._

Naruto had made Sasuke _laugh._

Naruto had been there when Sasuke _cried._

Naruto _refused_ to kill Sasuke and had stopped her when she was on her way to end his life.

Naruto _believed_ in Sasuke even after all the crimes he had committed.

Naruto _saved_ Sasuke from a horrific fate.

And Sakura had done none of these things. She only healed his physical wounds and sent him on his way. She was of no comfort to him. Emotional wounds could not be fixed by the medical training she had received from Tsunade or all the jutsu in the world. Sakura did not know how to fix them, but Naruto did.

How she _envied_ him.

So when Naruto comes to Sakura to ask her opinion on what he should do if Sasuke does something to hurt himself, Sakura plasters a fake smile on her face when she greets him. She patiently waits for Naruto to finish, interrupting him every now and then to ask questions. She tells him what she thinks as a medic, and Naruto listens.

Naruto cannot tell that her smile is faked when he tells her that he plans on moving in with Sasuke because he is worried the villagers might try to kill him. Sakura knows that Naruto decides to move in with Sasuke because he is more worried that his friend will kill himself.

And rage and envy are boiling under the very surface. Sakura has no outlet for them except when she decides to train and demolish a few boulders with her fists.

Sakura knows she is not a magnanimous person, but she is wonderful at faking it and she likes to believe that she is.

Sakura is a jealous person.

And she _knows_ it.

* * *

A/N: I have a strong dislike of pre-Shippuden Sakura. Unfortunately, that strong dislike is coming back due to her recent actions. I do not dislike Sasuke. I just think he's an idiot that deserves to be whacked over the head a few times and then forcibly dragged back to Konoha. In fact, this reminds me of a parody someone did of Harry Potter...."Remeber, all Voldemort needs is a nice big hug." While that would be impossible because (let's face it) Lord Moldy-shorts is one screwed up, megalomaniac, Sasuke does, in fact, need a nice big hug and good helping of humble pie. Maybe an semi-inspirational speech a la Yankumi and a slap over the head a la Leroy Jethro Gibbs as well. Oh well. Rant over.


End file.
